Therapy pool for use in swimming pools



Dec. 16. 1969 M. DE VANE 3,483,863

THERAPY POOL FOR USE IN SWIMMING POOLS Filed Jan. 16, 1968 FIG. 1

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INVENTOR HARRY M 05 I/ZWE Mam United States Patent OfiFice Patented Dec. 16, 1969 US. Cl. 128-66 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pre-formed therapy pool for installation in any part of a swimming pool. The therapy pool uses existing swimming pool equipment for water heating, filtering and circulation. The therapy pool comprises a pre-formed tank made of fiber glass or other material which is mounted along one side of a swimming pool, with inlet and outlet connections extending between the tank and the pool heater, pump and filter for utilizing the existing equipment and connections to heat and circulate water for the therapy pool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a pre-fabricated therapy pool which is particularly adapted for easy removable installation in a swimming pool and for the use of existing pool equipment and connections for its operation.

Description of the prior art The prior art comprises therapy pools which are constructed and operated independently from swimming pools and which are consequently extremely expensive to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pre-fabricated therapy pool which is adapted to be quickly, easily and removably installed in any desired part of an existing swimming pool and which can be connected to and operated by existing swimming pool operating equipment, such as the heater, pump, filter and connections.

The invention accordingly provides a therapy pool which is economically within the reach of any swimming pool owner, both as to the original installation and operating costs.

The therapy pool provides pleasure and physical benefits to users of the pool and encourages use of the swimming pool, particularly during cool Weather.

Persons sutfering from arthritis or other conditions for which hot water therapy is indicated can enjoy such therapy at low cost by merely heating the relatively small amount of water in the therapy pool to a high degree without undergoing the expense of heating the entire swimming pool.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an economical therapy pool in which the heating and circulation of water for the therapy pool are provided through use of the existing swimming pool equipment and connections.

It is also among the objects of the invention to provide a therapy pool for swimming pool installation having all of the advantages and benefits set forth above and resulting from the structure described hereinafter in this application.

The invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by the invention.

While there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top view of my therapy pool installed in a swimming pool, with the remaining structure being shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along a line 33 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate the invention comprises a hollow tank '10, which may be molded of fiber glass or formed in any other manner from any suitable material. The tank 10 which has been selected to illustrate the invention is adapted to hold approximately 350 gallons of water. It may, of course, be made larger or smaller, if desired by the user.

The tank 10 is provided at one end thereof with a seat 11, which extends right angularly from the end of the tank 10 and which extends across the entire width of the tank 10. The seat 11 also provides a step for persons entering and leaving the tank 10.

One side of the tank It) is provided with a horizontally extending flange 12, which may be formed integrally with the tank 10. The flange 12 overlies and is secured to the coping of a swimming pool 13 by concrete fastening members 14, which are preferably of the expanding bolt type.

One side 15 of the tank 10 extends vertically downward from the flange 12 substantially parallel to the side wall of the swimming pool 13. The side 15 is provided, preferably adjoining its lower corner, with a pair of shim pads 16, which may be formed of natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable material. The pads 16 are preferably somewhat resilient and can preferably be adjusted in thickness, as by trimming or shaving their outer surfaces. The outer surfaces of the pads 16 engage the adjacent side wall of the swimming pool 13 and this adjustment provides compensation for minor descrepancies in dimension and fit between the side 15 of the tank 10 and the side wall of the pool 13.

The tank 10 is provided with one or more water inlets, which are preferably disposed directly behind the seat 12. The Water inlets are connected to the output of the existing swimming pool heating and filtering system through an inlet hose 18. This connection is customarily made to the pipe through which heated water enters the swimming pool. The length and positioning of the inlet hose 18 depend upon the respective locations of the tank 10 and the connection. The hose 18 may be disposed within the swimming pool 13 and extend along one or more of its side walls or it may extend outside the swimming pool 13, if preferred by the user.

In the drawings, the hose 18 is connected to an inlet control valve 19, which controls the flow of Water to either of two water inlets 17 and 17a. The inlet 17a is a direct inlet without a jet. The inlet 17 is provided with a hydro-air jet 20 of the venturi type, so that air is injected into the tank 1( simultaneously with the heater water. This is desirable for therapeutic purposes and pleasurable for other users. The hydro-air jet 20 includes a venturi passage and a vertically directed air pipe 22 and its operation is well known to persons skilled in the art. Either of the inlets 17 or 17a may be omitted, if so desired. A second inlet control valve 21 permits the heated Water to be directed into the swimming pool 13 instead of into the tank 10.

The tank is provided at the end opposite from the seat 11 with a water outlet 23. The Water outlet 23 is connected to a second hose 25, which is connected to the existing skimmer or vacuum fitting connection of the swimming pool 13. Such fitting is in turn connected through a valve 24 of the existing equipment to the pump, heater and filter. The location and length of the second hose 25 depends upon the respective locations of the tank 10 and the existing pool connections. The pool equipment includes another Water return 29 which is controlled by a valve 30.

There is thus provided a complete circulation of water from the tank outlet 23 through the second hose 25 to the pool pump 26, filter 27 and heater 2% and then back through the inlet hose 18 to the water inlet 17 and tank It It is accordingly possible to direct the entire heat output of the existing pool heater to the substantially small quantity of water in the tank 19 and thus raise its temperature to a high degree in a comparatively short time.

The tank 10 can thus be used as a therapy pool without the cost of time required to heat all of the water in the pool 13.

It should be particularly noted that the present invention thus provides a therapy pool which is simple and economical to manufacture and install, and which is economical to operate because it utilizes the existing swimming pool equipment for both heating and circulating the water used in the therapy pool.

An equalizer outlet 31 is also provided in the bottom of the tank 10. The purpose of'the equalizer outlet 31 is to maintain the same water level in the tank 10 and pool 13. This is necessary if users move in and out of the tank 10. It is also necessary in case the pool 13 is drained.

In addition to providing therapeutic and pleasurable heated water bathing, immersion in the tank 10 raises the body temperature sufficiently to make it possible for the user to enter the pool 13 even though the pool is completely or comparatively unheated. This permits the user to enjoy the pool 13 even during comparatively cool weather conditions.

If the tank 10 is formed of fiberglass or other material which does not readily transmit heat, such material may provide suflicient insulation to prevent substantial heat loss from the tank 10 to the pool 13. Additional insulation may be applied to the walls of the tank 10 to lessen such heat loss.

The tank 10 may be installed in any part of any existing swimming pool. It is relatively small in bulk and light in weight, so that it is easily transported, simple to install and also simple to remove.

I claim:

1. A therapy pool for use in an existing swimming pool having a pump, heater and heated water inlet, said therapy pool comprising a hollow tank, means for mounting said tank within said swimming pool, said tank having a water inlet and a water outlet, means connecting said water inlet of said tank to said heated water inlet of said swimming pool, so that said tank is supplied with water heated by said heater and moved by said pump, whereby the Water in said tank can be heated to a temperature substantially greater than that of the water in said swimming pool, to provide a therapy pool within said swimming pool.

2. The structure described in claim 1, and means for mounting said tank directly adjacent to at least one wall of said swimming pool, said wall providing atleast part of the support for said tank. v

3. The structure described in claim 2, said swimming pool having a water return, and means connecting the water outlet of said tank to said water return, so that the water in said tank is recirculated to said heater by said pump.

4. The structure described in claim 3, said pool having coping extending along the upper edges of its side .WallS, said tank having a flange overlying the coping of at least one adjacent wall of said swimming pool, fastening means securing said flange to said coping, said tank having a side wall extending substantially parallel to an adjacent wall of said swimming pool, said tank wall engaging and being supported at least in part by the wall of said swimming pool.

5. The structure described in claim 4, said ,tank having a horizontally directed seat disposed therein, said heat being constructed and arranged to serve as a step for persons entering said tank from the adjacent side of said swimming pool.

6. The structure described in claim 5, the outside of the side wall of said tank which engages the side wall of said pool having at least one shim pad, said shim pad engaging the adjacent side wall of said pool, said shim pad being adjutable in thickness to compensate for variations in the dimensions and fit of said tank and swimming pool.

7. The structure described in claim 6, and a water inlet control valve connected to the water inlet of said tank and the heated water inlet of said pool, so that heated water can be directed selectively between said tank and said swimming pool by the operation of said valve.

8. The structure described in claim 7, and a venturi type hydro-air jet connected to said water inlet of said tank, so that air can be injected into said tank simultaneously with heated water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,323,105 11/1919 Ruediger 4-l72 3,027,568 4/1962 Blau, et al. 3,067,435 12/1962 Nash 4-l80 3,078,472 2/1963 Salisbury 4l7l FOREIGN PATENTS 40,200 7/ 1926 Denmark.

0 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4179, 182 

